EYECANDY by Fern Hwa

ISSUE 001

GUIDE TO FOOD AESTHETICS

OCTOBER 2017

STYLING AND PHOTOGRAPHY

CONTENTS 01

Eye Candy FEAST FOR THE EYES

Easy Does It DO IT FOR THE GRAM

Food Critique TIM HO WAN

Food Critique AUCTION ROOMS CAFE

Food Arting ART FUEL

Food Arting STOP! FOOD HAMMER TIME!

AD #STOPBEFOREYOUPOP

CONT RIBU TORS Editor / Writer / Photographer Fern Hwa

Writer / Photographer

Brysen Liao

Vanessa Leung

FEAST FOR THE EYES “Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness”, as the king of chefs and the chef of kings Auguste Escoffier famously said. Though, how is good food defined now? Where Escoffier took pride in taste is now shadowed by the visual aesthetics of the dish. It takes more than taste to appeal to a millennial audience because who would care for a like or share if the food tastes amazing but does not look good on the gram’. After all, who does not like beautiful things? In this issue of Eyecandy, we will delve into food for the eyes and the art behind beautifully crafted dishes – what we call eye candy.

From a digital contemporary point of view, social media sees the pursuit of aesthetically pleasing images through popular applications like Instagram, Tumblr and Pinterest. The hunger for eye candy never seems to cease as the “aesthetic” is consistently seen being pursued through a growing community of food aesthetic accounts popping up all over social media. These beautifully curated accounts appear to be seemingly effortless – precisely why they attract a following. Perhaps one could call these accounts and its photos amateur, after all the people behind the lens are non-professionals. But it is the imperfectperfection, which emulates a lifestyle the audience can easily relate to and what calls for likes.

What really defines these aesthetic images of food though? This genre of eye candy is a composition of images cleverly manipulating the elements and principles of design in a comfortable, no-frills way. It is opposed to traditional professional food photography, which usually takes on a fine dining aesthetic. For many, fine dining is not within their constraints of consumption thus they turn to the portrayal of effortlessness. The consumption of aesthetic food is also fuelled by the desire for feelings of contentment and happiness through experiencing something pleasing; food is happiness, what more pretty food. So, how effortless is it to curate your own eye candy and what does it take to join the bandwagon of social media food stylists and photographers – well easy does it. One would be glad to know that thanks to the ready availability of smart phones with incredible camera function and image quality, fancy professional cameras are deemed unnecessary. If that sounds easy enough to begin with, then read on to find out what our practical tips are for creating a feast for the eyes.

eyecandy

“Good food is the foundation of genuine happiness” - Auguste Escoffier

eyecandy

EASY DOES IT

DO IT FOR THE

Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s take it from photogram to Instagram, these tips will equip you with the skills to become a food stylist and photographer churning out some eye candy shots. A great image is composed through a simple understanding of the different basic aspects of image composition that come together and of course, practice makes perfect. Ready to take the shot? Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s jump into food aesthetics 101.

do it for the gram

As we have mentioned, the basic smartphone you own right now will be your best friend. Coupled with a few photo editing applications and software found easily and downloadable on any smartphone, you are good to go. With tools, you need skills and here are guidelines one can easily follow any time.

composition

Framing is the arrangement of elements in an image and brings into attention the visual hierarchy and direction. Thinking about how you would like to frame and compose an image will help you get a better start. As a guide, follow the rule of thirds or in simpler terms, a grid structure. Using a grid gives a better sense of balance and harmony between the elements, adding up to an aesthetic image. Breaking out of the grid offsets the elements and provides a sense of action and motion; these elements can act as directional lines to guide the viewer around the image. How do we decide if we want our image zoomed in or out? Angle is a deciding factor. Choose to focus on the entire dish or a specific part by understanding the subject you are shooting. Is it a pizza? Then you might want to photograph it from a birds-eye view, as it has no depth and would look better flat as it is. A burger or cake on the other hand are three-dimensional and you would want to photograph at a 45-degree angle or eye level. To keep in mind is avoiding the camera slant lighting where the camera is rotated clockwise Clarity and vibrancy are essential or anti-clockwise. Photographing at in conveying an overall attraction. a slant appears very unnatural and Which brings us to lighting, the throws off the balance. A good guide foremost important aspect of food is to follow any strong lines that appear photography. Your best bet as a nonin the image and keeping in mind to professional photographer would be keep the image as level as possible. natural lighting, minus the works of bounce cards and artificial lighting. Photograph your set up near windows styling where you will get indirect sunlight. A little creativity goes a long way to The bright, warm glow of natural take your images to the next level sunlight makes food look appetising. and you will want to consider this an Never use the flash on your phone or opportune time to showcase your camera though, as it creates a harsh creativity. Plating is essential to the and unnatural glare. The tricky part to food so before dishing it out, consider using natural lighting is the changing that round plates are easier to shoot light direction or light intensity. So than square or rectangular at eye study your home and identify the level or angles. Patterns and colours time of day where lighting will work also add interest and build up on in your favour. It takes practice to find plain looking food, as long as it is kept a gwood angle to work with the light subtle and does not take away the but a general rule would be to shoot attention from the food. Now does a your food with light coming from the dish look dull and not as appetising front or angled at the sides. as you would like it to look? Adding a hint of garnish like herbs, condiments and toppings can be an effective way of adding aesthetic value. Think of it as a garnishing of colour to the dullness. However, keep in mind to pick dressings that make sense. You wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have a bowl of mushroom soup topped with banana right. The next step to engaging the audience is through adding elements that complement the dish. Pick decoration according to the story you want to communicate. Be it a festive or homely mood you go for, remember to keep it minimal and not overcrowd the image.It is important to understand what colours pair well together as not all colours are match made. An easy guide to pairing is to use a colour wheel to give you a good sense of what works well, an almost fail proof method. Colour contrast is important to bring out the dish and specific colours are considered appetising and unappetising. Colour is one of the most important determining factors of a palatable dish.

eye for detail

FOOD CRITIQUE

TIM HO WAN

FOOD CRITUQUE

With the rise of social media and the advance of technology, more and more people are addicted to social media. People love taking photos of their lives and upload to the internet to share with their friends and family. Food is necessity, it is something we have every day and we cannot live without it. Everyone loves food, right? Therefore, food photo is one of the most common kind of images we can see online. In order to attract more followers or attention, social media users are generally having a higher standard for the photo and so as the appearance of the food. Presentation of food has become a crucial element. Food presentation is the art of modifying, processing, arranging, or decorating food to enhance its aesthetic appeal. In our food critique session, we would solely judge the food by their appearance. There are a few aspects that we will assess, the medium containing the food, plating of ingredients and the details of the food itself (colours, textures,...).

“The prawn dumplings are wrapped in a crystal-clear dumpling skins which you can see the vibrant orange colour of the prawn from outside.” The Chinese dim sum restaurant chain that originated in Hong Kong restaurant is famous for being the world’s cheapest Michelin starred restaurant. It all began in 2009 when Chef Mak the ex-chef of the Four Seasons branched out on his own. He started small with a 19-seater in Mong Kok and then buoyed by demand expanded to other locations in Hong Kong. Fast forward three years and Tim Ho Wan has expanded to Singapore, Taiwan, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Thailand, the United States as well as Australia. The menu is not long, with about 15 dim sums, 6 different kinds of vermicelli roll, 9 choices of congee and supplemented by rice and noodles. We ordered 14 dishes in total which covered all categories they provide, including Baked Buns with BBQ Pork, Pan-Fried Radish Cakes, Steamed Egg Cake, Spinach Dumplings with Garlic & Enoki Mushrooms, Beef Balls with Bean curd Skin, Pork Dumplings with Prawns, Prawn Dumplings, Tofu with 3 Treasures (Dried Pork Belly, Duck & Chinese Sausages), Sesame Rice Balls with Salted Egg Yolk, Treasures of the Sea (Prawns, Scallops & Fish Slices congee) Vermicelli Roll with Fried Dough ‘, Broccoli with Abalone Scallop Sauce, The Treasure Bowl (Rice with Dried Pork Belly, Duck & Chinese Sausages, Mango Pomelo Sago

and Tonic Medlar & Osmanthus Cakes. For beverage, we ordered 2 Homemade Longan and a Homemade HK Milk Tea. First, for the medium containing the food, the steamed dim sums are contained in the traditional Chinese steam baskets to match with the authentic image. The baskets make a better contrast with dim sums which have a lighter colour. For the other dishes, they are contained in white plastic plates which can make a good contrast with the food and look good on photos but not the same case in real life. I would give a 3 out of 5 for this aspect. Next, I would talk about the plating of the ingredients, most of the dished are plated neatly, not overcrowded. There are usually several pieces in one dishes and they are tidily placed in a symmetrical way. On the other hand, as only the dim sums are put in the container for most of the dishes, there is not much combination or skill for plating at all. So, I would give 3.5 out of 5 for this aspect. Third, talking about the details of the food itself, Tim Ho Wan did a great job. For example, the prawn dumplings are wrapped in a crystal-clear dumpling skins which you can see the vibrant orange colour of the prawn from outside. The baked Buns with BBQ Pork created a nice golden crispy top which creates a great texture. I would like to give a 4 out of 5 which a total 10.5 out of 15.

FOOD CRITUQUE

FOOD CRITIQUE

AUCTION ROOMS CAFE

It’s been around for a while now, but Auction Rooms is still the crème de la crème of the Melbourne café scene. It takes a special sort of place to pack out Sunday brunch every week for the last nine years in a row. Which is probably why it became part of the St Ali empire back in November 2016. The café doubles as a roaster, serving up Small Batch coffee, and featuring a rotating selection of daily blends, courtesy of ex-owner and Small Batch maestro, Andrew Kelly. The menu is a compact one-page wonder. New dishes come and go, but the belly-warming classics endure. This is the place you come for buttermilk griddlecakes with whipped Anglaise, brownie, honeycomb, fresh strawberries, or the epic corn beef hash: slow-cooked beef, potato, shredded cabbage, leek, poached eggs, pita bread, smothered in Sriracha hollandaise. With rib-stickers like that on the menu, it’s no big surprise that Auction Rooms continues to thrive. It rode the new wave of Melbourne cafe culture, lived through food fads great and small, and is still showing the blond-wood upstarts how it’s done. No Melbourne brunch Bucket List is complete without it. With that, we have sampled their Seasonal fruit salad + seed salad and a local pine mushroom artisan pasta. To start with, I would first discuss the medium used for containing the food.

FOOD CRITUQUE

A snowy marble white round plate is used to contain each of the dish which provide a clear and tidy background for the food. The pattern on the plate itself is pleasant and match with the vibe of the café as well. I would give 4 out of 5 for them. Secondly, for the plating of the ingredients The Seasonal fruit salad, filled with colourful fruits and fragrant toasted seed, elevated the entire salad with touch of vibrant colour and beautiful garnish which created a beautiful contrast. Slightly yellowish mandarin dressing enhances the visual enjoyment. Although the pasta does not have a surprising plating, the combination of pasta topping with cheese is still a classic eye feast. I would give a 4 out of 5 for this section. Lastly, there are some nice details that we should not miss. The colours of the ingredients used in the salad is diverse, created a contrast as mentioned and stacking up the fruits also created a lovely hierarchy. I would give a 4 out of 5 for this category which make a 12 out of 15 in total for this restaurant.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Seasonal fruit salad, filled with colourful fruits and fragrant toasted seed, elevated the entire salad with touch of vibrant colour and beautiful garnish.â&#x20AC;?

FOOD CRITUQUE

ART Fuel

Food that makes you keep on ‘arting

Food. The source of energy for all living things. The essence that we need to consume to keep us moving forward in everyday life. Like all artists and designers, food is not only what provides us with energy, but our creative inspiration as well. Without food, what are we? Soulless and hungry shells that most definitely not be able to create works that can be seen today. But worry not, today we will tell you readers which foods are hip and in for current and modern artists and designers. Contrary to popular belief, Fast Food is not only easy food to get your hands on, but also boost your creative knowledge by a whopping ten thousand times! It is also extremely healthy with its oils which provide excellent benefits to your body. But enough with the health benefits, let’s move onto the foods itself. Starting from the top left, McDonald’s has become a leading food supplier for artists, especially the Quarter Pounder and the Chicken Nuggets, The Quarter Pounder. You can easily tell that sesame seeds on the bun really give the burger the artistic flair that it really needs. The pickle sneaking out of the side really represents how unpredictable and cunning artists naturally are. Not only that, but the quarter pounder beef patty screams “I am hefty and realiable, but still light and swift” which all commercial artists aspire to be. The accompanying golden crispy nuggets really compliment the burger with it’s irregular shapes, which brings out the perfection of the burger itself. Ideal art fuel for artists who are perfectionists and bread winners. The competitor of McDonald’s, KFC has always been a close second, clocking in with it’s own Original Recipe Chicken Burger (Chickee B as it is known in the art and design community) and accompanying it is their signature Potato Mashies with Gravy. Much like McDonald’s Quarter Pounder, the Chickee B also has sesames, although much less than it’s competition. This generally represents modesty and being humble. The irregular shaped bun also brings out the imperfections of the burger, which is further emphasized with the just as irregular mashies. The overall burger and mashies create a humble aura which tries its best to be unique from their competition. This meal is ideal for artists who are not cocky and elite, but more quiet and modest. Special mentions for Domino’s Hawaiian and Barbecue Chicken w/ Bacon Pizzas. Although it is usually associated with teenagers who hang around sewers while pretending to be ninjas, it also known as “Art Fuel for the Impoverished”. These pizzas are popular among art students who have a hard time paying for their bills, yet it is colourful and good looking enough to inspire our aspiring artists. Shout out to Dr Pepper and Pepsi for using colours that is not a majority of red and white with extremely fancy cursive writing. Well that’s it for this issue’s ART FUEL, tune in next issue to see which new foods are in or if the two fast food giants still reign as champions for providing inspiration for artists and designers.

art fuel

STOP! HAMMER TIME!

avocado isn’t the only thing that is smashed

PICNIC

Ever since man learnt how to smash things with We have also hired in professional food smasher, a hammer, many objects have undergone this John “The Smash” Dwayneson to assist us in the process. At first it was rocks being smashed by the food smashing as well as give us some comments neanderthals, then it was iron nails that people and input for each food he smashes, that way we smashed to build houses. Ever since the beginning can all be food smashers like John. For each food, of 2017, man has found new things to smash, we carefully prepared an area as well as a hammer and that thing was the avocado. for John to use. For this test, we will be “Why Should we Smashed Avacado was indeed using a standard household hammer stop at smashing the next big thing to be smashed for all our food smashing tests. This by us homosapiens, but not avocados? can’t we is to keep a consistent and equal just regular ol’ humans, but start smashing other test along all foods. The first food we us Aussies (Australians for our will be smashing will be in the snack foods too?” international readers) down under. category. In this category, we will be But why stop there? Why should we stop at smashing a Picnic bar in all it’s nutty glory. Then smashing avacados, can’t we start smashing we will we smashing a more Oriental dish, Salmon other foods too, I hear you ask. No worries, my with Caramelised Onion, and lastly in the Desserts friendly readers of Eye Candy as today this age old category, we will be smashing the most popular vote question will be answered! We surveyed twenty , Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream. In the end we will thousand True Blue Aussies to come up with the we tally up what looks the best before and after the next foods you all want smashed and finally chose smashing. Without further ado, its time to smash! one of each category (Snacks, Main and Dessert).

The classic nougat and peanut treat, known as a Picnic. Despite having a good combination of chocolate and nuts, the taste cannot justify the ugliness of the chocolate bar, giving it a 1 out of 10 in terms of shape and structure. Not only that, but the colour is brown which really just makes it look like a piece of dry turd. Overall this Picnic bar wins no favours in the aesthetic department and will recieve a 1 out of 10 as an overall score.

stop! hammer time!

Unlike it’s unsmashed, turd-looking counterpart, a smashed picnic exposes much of its golden peanut interior, and in many ways, more appetising than before. It seems that the problem was the structure which resembled too much like a dog turd. This is more like a golden crumble, suitable for toppings for desserts as well as for baking. For the overall appearance of the crushed bar, it is much less turd looking, but still not that great. 4 out of 10.

W/ CARAMELISED ONION

SALMON

Unfortunately, the stringy-ness of the onion did not bode well for the aesthetic that is the crumbling and flaky salmon. Although it still keeps the matte and shiny textures on the salmon and onion respectively, it no longer compliments each other as it did before. However, the colour of the salmon has really come out, the darker shades have gone to beneath the orange interior, giving it a strong shadowy look. We give it a 5 out of 10.

ICE CREAM

BELGIAN CHOCOLATE

The unexpected winner for the Main dish category is the Salmon w/ Caramelised Onion. The golden and flakiness of the salmon along with the thinly sliced, caramelised onion really blend well together. The matte texture of the salmon and the shiny sheen on the onion extremely compliements each other with juxtaposing elements. We can definitely see why it was chosen for this category. We give it a 7 out of 10.

Ah, the perfect and decadant Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream. With its unmelted smooth texture as well as the shimmering melted droplets it is expected that the Belgian Chocolate Ice Cream was voted as number one in the dessert category. There are completely no faults with this ice cream in any way. With complimenting textures as well as a delicious, and chocolate-y coloured exterior, with absolute assurance, we give it a 10 out of 10 in terms of aesthetic.

Oh god... What happened? What had gone wrong for the Ice Cream to fall so far from Grace? Not only does it look totally unappetising, but the appearance can be compared to the results of someone having a extremely bad stomach ache. In other words, it looks like sh*t. Total and utter sh*t. Please avoid smashing ice cream at all costs, especially chocolate coloured ice cream. If we could give it a score under zero, we would. 0 out of 10.

stop! hammer time!

STOP BEFORE YOU POP

Thousands of people pop like balloons from eating doughnuts. Popping can occur at any moment and at any given time. You will not have proper control over the timing and your loved ones will probably miss you

#STOPorPOP

4551390358